Heat is a readily available source of energy. Heat may be available from ambient sources, such as the atmosphere, flowing water, the sun, or geothermal fluids. Heat may also be a byproduct of a process such as steam-powered electrical generation, or industrial manufacturing, operating semiconductor devices, or the like.
However, it has been difficult to convert available heat energy into electrical power. For example, heat may be used to generate power using a secondary fluid, such as steam or the like, which drives a generator turbine.
Often, such as at electrical power generation stations and industrial manufacturing facilities, heat is considered as a waste byproduct that must be eliminated. When heat is a waste byproduct, for example, the waste heat is dissipated into the atmosphere using cooling towers or the like.
Accordingly, at least to improve thermal efficiency and perhaps to reduce systems complexity, there is a need in the arts to derive electrical power from available heat.